Miscellaneous News

• Lady Spears has written a book about her stay in the Middle East, entitled “A Journey in the Land of the Unknown.” The book contains matter deserving notice and attention, for it speaks of Lebanese personalities and of many things about life in Lebanon, which has caused a great stir in Beirut circles.

• On the night of the glorious feast of Christmas there was concluded in Alexandria the engagement of the notable Sheikh Khalil Beshara El-Khouri, son of His Excellency the President of the Republic, to the noble Miss Jacqueline Arida, daughter of the notable George Arida, consul of Great Britain in Tripoli. We offer the two worthy betrothed our warm congratulations, wishing them a happy and prosperous life.

• On December 14 the marriage of Mitri al-Haddad to the noble Miss Layla Arqash was celebrated in Beirut — prosperity and progeny to them!

• His Excellency the President of the Syrian Republic has donated three months' salary to the Syrian Aviation Society, with a view to encouraging this national project.

• It is likely that the foundation stone of the new Khaldeh airport will be laid at the end of February 947 in an official ceremony.

• God has blessed the notable Mr. Nassim Majdalani, supreme president of the Ghassanid Organization, and his virtuous wife with a baby boy. May God make him a child of health and delight the eyes of his worthy parents in him.

• The Students' League of the Syrian University held a debate on the subject “Woman and Her Participation in Social Life,” under the supervision of Dr. Muhsin Shafiq, professor of commercial law at the Faculty of Law in Damascus. Taking part in this debate was a group of law students, the Misses and Messrs. Inayat Ramzi, Tal'at Rifa'i, Irfan Salloum, and Ra'ib Darwaza; two of them took the side of support, while the other two took the side of opposing woman's participation in social life and her descent into the field of work. Dr. Muhsin Shafiq conducted the debate — held for the first time in the university's history — attended by its professors, a great number of students, men and women, and some school teachers, who crowded the university's amphitheater for all its breadth and spaciousness.

After the debaters had finished, the discussion was thrown open to all. The idea of woman's participation in social life prevailed.

• The presidents and members of the charitable associations in Beirut had the honor of paying a friendly visit to the noble lady, wife of His Excellency the Prime Minister Riad Bey al-Solh. They offered her their congratulations on the return of His Excellency the leader to the helm of the ship of government in the country.

On this occasion His Excellency promised, through the words of his virtuous wife, to support women's charitable projects by setting aside a portion of the Poor Man's Piaster for this noble end.

They presented to Her Ladyship a statement of the nursing and relief work their committees had carried out; she was greatly pleased and thanked them for it. They also asked her to patronize certain annual charity fêtes, and she granted the request with thanks and pleasure.

Then all departed, loud in praise and thanks for the mistress of the house, who had overwhelmed them with her great kindness.

• Last month the wedding was celebrated of the cultivated Miss Aline Hjayj, one of the refined young ladies of Zahle's Maallaqa, to the notable Mr. Elias Kazma of Beirut. Also celebrated was the wedding of the cultivated Miss Josephine Beshara Ghaziri to the man of letters Mr. George Suleiman Nasr, in a fête where merriment shone forth and the fragrance of felicity spread through its air. To the worthy newlyweds our sincerest congratulations.

• At the opening of the new year, to the strains of music at the Hotel Normandy, the engagement was announced of the refined Miss Samira Jaber to Mr. Adib Sarkis, one of the professors of chemistry at the American University of Beirut. To the worthy betrothed pair our warm congratulations.

• A representative of “The Woman's Voice” made an “editorial” tour to Tripoli the Fragrant, and met a fine group of its refined ladies, obtaining from them “valuable” information about the progress of the women's movement in Tripoli, which we shall publish in the coming issue.

• “The Woman's Voice” has received several requests for particulars about the “colored cork” we announced in the last issue. We have referred these requests to the inventor of this beautiful cork, Mr. Michel Njeim. We ask those ladies who desire particulars, from now on, to communicate with him at his address: Beirut — Howayek Street — P.O. Box 980.